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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23601025">The Shadier Side</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/CosmicCove/pseuds/CosmicCove'>CosmicCove</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Anime Campaign! (Web Series)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>(duh), I'm hoping for Guile and the Newsies to be involved, It's an AU, Not Canon Compliant, Spoilers so don't read if you are strictly Epithet Erased, diverges from canon in 6b, more will be added later - Freeform, not beta read we die like Cracker Jack, not major character death but pretty darn close</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-04-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-03 00:55:04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,055</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23601025</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/CosmicCove/pseuds/CosmicCove</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>MAJOR SPOILERS FOR ANIME CAMPAIGN EPISODE 6b AND EPITHET ERASED!!!!  DO NOT READ IF YOU DON'T WANT SPOILERS!!!<br/>---<br/>Summary will be in the notes because I don't want EE people in the character tags to get spoiled.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>More will be added later - Relationship, Sylvester "Sylvie" Ashling &amp; Rick Shades</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Summary:<br/>What if, instead of classing up, Sylvie had been turned into a shade like the others in the Moot Realm?  AKA the Shade!Sylvie AU.<br/>--<br/>This chapter is the prologue.  The first half is word for word from Anime Campaign until it diverges from canon.  This is basically just to get things set up for later chapters, so bare with me. :)</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“I lost again.  Of course!  I don’t know why I expected anything else,” Sylvie croaked, small tears prickling in his eyes, “Finish me off.”
</p>
<p>Rick stepped towards the small, shaking figure of Sylvie laying on the ground.  “Sylvie, it must have been, so hard for you,” Rick slowly said, choosing his words carefully, “I’m really sorry.”  He sat down next to his friend, running a hand through his hair.  Sylvie seemed to be comforted by the gesture.
    </p>
<p>Mera looked up at Rick unsure of what to do.  Her eyes seemed to ask, “Should I say something?”  He nodded.
    </p>
<p>Mera knelt down next to Sylvie.  “I’m not going to kill you,” she told him softly.  Sylvie stared up at her, a look of guilt mixing with his pain.  “Um… hey, I- Sorry, I’m bad at this...” she continued, “You were right.  You were right about all that stuff I did.  Those were, indeed, things I did.  I’m-  I’m genuinely sorry.  About the tournament and the scar.  Especially the scar…”  She paused, looking to the side shamefully, “I still don’t remember you from the tournament to be totally honest, but it looks like what I did really affected you.  So, I’m sorry.”
</p>
<p>She looked at the rest of the group, hoping for some sign that she was doing this right.  Rick nodded again.
</p>
<p>Mera continued, spurred on by the fact that she was doing something right.  “Look, Sylvie,” she whispered, “They told me I used to study epithets.  You wanted to know all about them, and you thought that I’d be a good mentor for that.  Well, um… Sorry, but I kind of suck… at… that.  The mentoring.  And the epithets.  I mean-” she laughed, “The only reason I started all this training was so I could stop hurting <em> all the time.</em>  I was bedridden until I was sixteen.  I was hoping to get good enough with this stupid epithet anymore, and I thought ‘Maybe if I put on aires and looked like this big, tough, smart, scary lady-  I don’t know…  That’d it’d happen.”
</p>
<p>A smile appeared on her lips.  “And it did!  Finally, today.  But now, I don’t have Indus, and I…  And I don’t have anything.”  Her voice got quieter as she talked, until only Sylvie could hear her.  For a moment, she felt like she would start crying, but then she choked her sobs back down.  Her voice back, she continued,  “In the end, none of it was even worth it, so I guess I kind of know how you’re feeling right now?  I mean, we’re both at the bottom.”
</p>
<p>She paused again.  “You know, Indus told me that honorable warriors share their epithets when they fight, and I always thought he was an idiot for that, but-” She sighed, spiteful of her own ignorance, “I feel like it will help, so…”  She trailed off, and then leaned in and whispered, “My epithet is fragile,” to Sylvie so only he could hear.
</p>
<p>“Really?” he huffed weakly, “Huh.  I guess I misjudged you.  Just another screw up, I guess.”  He closed his eyes tightly, a strange feeling of numbness washing over him.  Was he dying?  It wasn’t very painful if he was.
</p>
<p>“Sylvie?” Rick asked.
</p>
<p>Sylvie tried to say ‘Rick’ back at him, but all he achieved was a small “aah.”  He thought that was pretty strange.  He kind of felt better right now, if a little disoriented.  “Aah!” he chirped again.
</p>
<p>“Oh god,” Rick hoarsely muttered.  Mera stared at him, her hands over her mouth, eyes wide with shock.  Trixie made a screeching noise and hugged Phoenica, hiding her face while Phoenica hugged her back tightly with her eyes squeezed shut.  Like Trixie, Molly ran to Percy to hug onto her.  Percy picked her up and held her tight.  “Did he just-?” Abby whispered, eyes also wide in shock.
</p>
<p>“What’s wrong?” Sylvie tried to ask, but all he managed was more of the strange chirping.  He almost sounded like a-
</p>
<p>“Shade,” Rick murmured, “He’s a shade.  I can’t believe-”  He stopped mid sentence to wipe away some tears.  “Sylvie, I’m-  I’m so sorry!”
</p>
<p>Percy, still holding Molly, approached Rick.  “I’m so, so sorry for your loss.  But right now, the most we can do is stop another death from happening.”  She pointed at the plateau that Moot and Indus stood upon.
</p>
<p>“Yeah, we have to save Indus,” Mera added, her voice sounding just as strained as Rick’s.
</p>
<p>“I- yeah,” Rick agreed, “But I’m not leaving him here.”
</p>
<p>“Shades can’t leave the Moot Realm,” Abby pointed out.
</p>
<p>“Has anyone ever tried before?” Rick asked.
</p>
<p>“Well- No.”
</p>
<p>“Then I can at least try,” Rick argued, determination in his voice, “After all, my name is Rick Shades.  It’s right in my name.  I bet that I could get him out of here.”
</p>
<p>“That sounds like a pretty big leap in logic,” Mera said dryly, “But I won’t stop you.”
</p>
<p>“You couldn’t have stopped me if you tried,” Rick stated.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Things are still a little slow, but I swear they'll pick up in the next few chapters as I introduce more characters.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Everything should have been fine.  Mera was alive, Moot was defeated, the songstress was banished, and they found that, thankfully, Sylvie could be taken back to the real world with them.  Rick felt like he should have felt fine, but he felt incredibly uneasy, and from the faces of the others casting worried glances at Sylvie in between bursts of relieved, tired laughter, he wasn’t the only one who still felt that it wasn’t a total win.  He was holding onto Sylvie so tightly, like the little shade might dissolve if he held on too loosely.  Sylvie chirped uncomfortably.
</p>
<p>Rick looked down at Sylvie sadly as he squirmed, and loosened his grip just a little.  Noticing Rick’s forlorn gaze, Indus asked, “Is everything okay, friend wizard?  That shade seems to be troubling you.  Is it making you sad?”
</p>
<p>“No.  Well.  Yes, in a way,” Rick said softly, attempting to smile, however sad he still looked, “He’s my best friend.  Or was.”  Sylvie protested the ‘was’ with a peep.
</p>
<p>“Oh.”  Indus looked at Rick and Sylvie with deep sympathy.  “I’m sorry.”  He paused.  “Might I ask who it was or-?”
</p>
<p>Rick winced and looked down at Sylvie for a second before looking away from everybody.  With a shuttered breath, he felt fresh tears threatening to appear in his eyes.
</p>
<p>Mera leaned in towards Indus.  “You remember Sylvie, right?  I mean, I don't, really, but you do,” she whispered so no one could hear.
</p>
<p>“Yes, I remember,” Indus replied.  Mera nodded sadly.  “Oh.  Oh no,” Indus said softly.
</p>
<p>“Things look bad, but we can fix it, right?” Trixie asked, “You’ll make the bad things go away like you did with the ghosts at the card game competition, right Mr. Shades?”
</p>
<p>Rick looked at Trixie, and Phoenica who was standing next to her, also looking at him expectantly.  Rick felt more helpless than he ever had.  Here he was, two children looking to him to make things a little better, and a third child that he had failed cradled in his arms.  He looked from Trixie to Phoenica to Sylvie, feeling his breath catch, unable to answer.
</p>
<p>“Or maybe you could help, Miss King?” Molly asked Percy.
</p>
<p>Percy looked down at Molly, her eyes full of gentleness and sorrow.  “I’m not so sure this can be fixed.”
</p>
<p>“It has never been done before,” Indus informed them, “my brother’s world is a twisted place, and the shades, we have assumed, cannot be saved.  However!”  Indus approached Rick, and placed his hand on his shoulder, “I can feel that you love your friends very much, and that this one-” he pointed at Sylvie “-Is very dear to you in particular.  You may have a chance, if you are willing to go great lengths to get your friend back.”
</p>
<p>“I would go to the ends of the Earth,” Rick replied, his voice crackling with emotion.
</p>
<p>“I think you’ll be able to save him, Mr. Shades,” Trixie said softly.
</p>
<p>“I hope so,” Rick sighed, wiping away tears that had pooled up in his eyes.
</p>
<p>“Don’t cry!” Sylvie tried to tell him, only managing a small “aah!”  It only seemed to make Rick cry more, even if he tried to cover it up.  “No!” Sylvie cried out with a drawn out caw.
</p>
<p>“I think… He’s trying to talk to us?” Molly suggested.
</p>
<p>“Is he?  I can’t-” Rick wiped away more tears and sniffled, “I wish I could-”
</p>
<p>Sylvie wriggled so that Rick’s grip on him was not so firm anymore, and used the beak of his mask to peck Rick’s nose.  It didn’t hurt, but it wasn’t pleasant either.
</p>
<p>Rick lowered Sylvie away from him.  “What was that for?” he asked quietly.
</p>
<p>“I guess he wants you to listen?” Molly answered.  Sylvie turned towards her and voiced his agreement.
</p>
<p>Rick paused to think for a second.  “Okay,” he murmured.
</p>
<p>Sylvie turned to face Rick again.  He took a deep breath, five seconds in, five seconds out.  He looked at Rick, who looked a little confused.  He chirped to get his attention, and then took another deep breath.
</p>
<p>“Wait, I know this,” Mera suddenly told them, “It’s a breathing exercise!  You inhale  for five seconds, then exhale for five seconds.”  Everyone looked at her, mildly surprised.  “I spent a lot of time surrounded by doctors in my childhood, I know a few things,” she added defensively.
</p>
<p>Sylvie turned to her and chirped his confirmation.
</p>
<p>Rick smiled weakly at Sylvie.  “Even now, you are being a therapist, huh?” he asked softly, “Well, I might as well, then.  If it makes you happy.”  Rick took a deep breath, following along with Sylvie.  He felt himself calming down, his eyes drying slowly as he gulped down air.  He wiped away the trails left behind by his crying as Sylvie peeped his approval.
</p>
<p>“I guess he didn’t want you to be sad anymore, Mr. Shades,” Trixie noted quietly.
</p>
<p>“Well, I’m not happy, but I can try to be if that’s what makes everyone happy,” replied Rick, flashing everyone a sad smile.
</p>
<p>“You’re doing great, don’t worry,” Abby reassured.
</p>
<p>“Thanks Abby.”
</p>
<p>There was a pause where no one spoke because it felt like there just wasn’t anything left to say.  “Well,” Phoenica finally spoke up, “The songstress has been defeated once and for all.  I think we all have our things we have to get to now-”  Her gaze flickered from Rick holding Sylvie, who was now just a two-foot tall Shade, to Mera and Indus, to Abby who was trying to get a hold of her stream, to her friends who looked determined to destroy Bliss Ocean despite how shaken they were, to Percy, who certainly had enough on her plate as it was as a police officer.  “-So until next time, I guess we’d all better go now.  I wish I had a better speech prepared for this but…”  Phoenica sighed, then added, “Tonight’s been a lot.”
</p>
<p>Stepping out of the dilapidated building, Rick noticed that the first light of morning was peeking over the horizon.  Exactly how long had they been trapped in the Moot realm?  It was an exhausting revelation for sure.
</p>
<p>Percy approached him.  “Sylvie’s Uncles are still in the back,” she told him, “I bet they’d want to know what happened.”
</p>
<p> “I… I don’t want to interrupt their honeymoon with news that their nephew is…” Rick trailed off.  Sylvie also chirped in protest.  The last he had seen of Chappy had not been the best.
</p>
<p>“I suppose it would be quite a downer.  It’s up to you,” Percy told him.  She gave him a look of sympathy before walking off, holding Molly’s hand and guiding her through the foliage.
</p>
<p>He knew what the right thing to do was, but it was just too difficult and too fridgening.  He readjusted Sylvie in his arms so that he’d be secure and comfortable, and then trudged back through the boggy landscape surrounding the house towards where he came.  “C’mon, let’s go back to my apartment.  Is that okay with you?”
</p>
<p>Sylvie peeped a “yes!”
</p>
<p>Rick smiled, slowly learning how to read Sylvie now that he could only speak in chirps and coos.  “Alright then.  Maybe I can get some friends to help me get you back to the way you were.  How do you feel about that?”  Sylvie peeped again.  “Great!  Let’s fix this as soon as possible!”</p>
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